First Look: Jennifer Carpenter on The Good Wife

There are no guns in sight and nary a cuss word to be heard when Jennifer Carpenter — best known as Dexter's foulmouthed cop sister Debra — guest stars as a religious Republican professor on the December 4 episode of CBS' The Good Wife.

The brief departure from her ordinary routine is "why I was so attracted to this role," she says. Her character, Pamela Riker, hires Lockhart/Gardner to fight what she considers her illegal firing for political reasons. "It makes me realize how your politics can encourage a rush to judgment," Carpenter says. "It should be very surprising as it unfolds."

The episode also pits new hire Caitlin D'Arcy (Anna Camp), who's defending Riker, against Martha Reed (Grace Rex), the lawyer she beat out for her job at the firm. "Riker can feel how green both of them are. It's scary to have your career in less-than-capable hands," says Carpenter. As for her time with the more sea­soned counsel? "Julianna [Margulies] is not only an incredible power­house of talent, but very warm and welcoming."